Computer Science: An Overview: Global Edition (12th Edition)

Published by Pearson Higher Education
ISBN 10: 1292061162
ISBN 13: 978-1-29206-116-0

Chapter 12 - Theory of Computation - Chapter Review Problems - Page 572: 43

Answer

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Work Step by Step

A universal Turing machine is a theoretical computing device that can simulate any Turing machine's behavior given the appropriate input. It consists of a finite set of states, a tape divided into cells, a read/write head that can move left or right along the tape, and a set of transition rules that determine the machine's behavior based on its current state and the symbol it reads from the tape. Here's how a universal Turing machine functions: 1. **Initialization**: The universal Turing machine is initialized with a description of the Turing machine it needs to simulate, along with the input for that machine. The description includes the states, alphabet, transition rules, and initial configuration of the target Turing machine. 2. **Simulation**: The universal Turing machine simulates the behavior of the target Turing machine by following the transition rules specified in its description. It reads symbols from the tape, changes its state according to the transition rules, and modifies the tape as necessary. 3. **Execution**: The universal Turing machine continues to execute the simulation until it reaches a halting state, indicating that the target Turing machine has finished its computation. At this point, the universal Turing machine halts and outputs the final configuration of the tape. 4. **Example**: Let's say we have a Turing machine that adds two numbers represented in unary notation. The input might look like "111+11," where each "1" represents a single unit. The universal Turing machine would be given a description of this addition machine along with the input "111+11." It would then simulate the behavior of the addition machine, reading symbols from the tape, performing addition operations, and updating the tape until it reaches a halting state. Finally, it would output the result of the addition, such as "111111" for the input "111+11."
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